When Cats Fly
by NonKanonical
Summary: An unknown causes trouble, and Salem pulls an ace from up her sleeve. The fall of Vale came early, and no one was prepared. Thanks to one Qrow Branwen, Blake made it out. Now they, along with Jaune and Glynda, must save their loved ones and return peace to Remnant. If it were so easy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Rebirth

* * *

Blake ran. The forest was full of creeping shadows cast by the broken moon. She was forced to weave in and out of the thick expanse of trees. Every square inch of the ground covered with gnarled roots that threatened to trip her.

She couldn't afford to do anything else. She couldn't afford to be distracted by any thought, except for putting one foot in front of the other. She couldn't afford to think about Yang, or Ruby, or Weiss. Not to mention team JNPR. Nor could she think about the fact that if she was caught now, they were all doomed.

A shrill whistle filled air as a bright, sparkling explosive sailed right by Blake's head. In an attempt to dodge the explosion, Blake quickly shifted her feet, but didn't take her own inertia into account. Her right foot slipped and she was flung down a small muddy hill, coming to a stop only after hitting a large root.

"Come on kitty cat! I thought we were having fun!" None other than Roman Torchwick called after her in mock hurt, and he didn't sound far away.

Blake strained to pick herself up, her muscles practically ordering her to stop. Slowly, but surely, she came to her feet and began to amble forward once more. A flash of light appeared right before her, blinding her, and Blake was tripped once more, this time falling face first into the mud.

Blake felt hopeless. Sides bruised, legs burning, and lungs screaming, she didn't have the energy to pick herself up again. Everyone would die. All because she was too weak to protect them.

She heard the rasp of a steel blade exiting its sheath as a booted foot nudged her, eventually rolling her completely over. Blake gently opened her eyes staring up into the mismatched ones of her soon to be killer. The multicolored girl raised her blade high above Blake, prepared to jab it down into her. Effectively ending her suffering, and condemning her friends to death, all in one smooth motion.

A loud clang rang out around her. Blake's dazed mind could hardly comprehend the motions going on above her. From out of nowhere, a man had rescued her. Her fuzzy vision couldn't make out much more than a caped figure holding large sword.

Then he spoke in very gruff voice, "I'm not going to let you touch her."

"What a shame. You Branwens have been making such a mess of things as of late." Blake heard Torchwick respond from off to the side. "Give us the girl. We can't have any loose ends hangin' around. I'm sure you understand."

"Not gonna' happen," the man said. Who would go to such lengths for her? She was just a failure. She failed to save her friends. Failed to save herself.

Torchwick grunted, "Neo. If you would."

The squelch of booted feet in the mud running towards them was immediate, but before she knew what was happening, a pair of arms lifted her up and a blast of wind forced Blake to close her eyes and worsened a forming headache. She heard the strained voice of the man holding her. "Don't worry. I got you kiddo." She felt as if she was falling, her disoriented senses not were unable to make heads or tails of how fast she was moving or in what direction. Blake wanted to retaliate, but she couldn't find it in herself to move her muscles of her own accord. It would probably be okay though. The mysterious man had saved her. She thought so anyway. Didn't that say something? Her conscience began to slip, and without much choice she allowed it to, drifting into the comfortable confines of sleep.

* * *

Blake's eyes shot open and she sat up as quickly as possible. The groggy remains of unconsciousness didn't allow her to perceive anything other than the painful crick in her neck, her sore stiff legs, and her bruised ribs. She blinked a few times, slowly bringing her surroundings into focus.

She was laid up against a log on a hilltop with a low burning fire about ten feet away from her and Gambol Shroud lay neatly at her feet. The expanse behind her was forested, but whether or not it was the same one, she had no idea. Most peculiar was the small gravestone situated at the edge of the cliff.

"Hey, she's up." A voice drawled from behind her.

Blake whipped around to see a man lying on a tree branch and sipping from a hip flask. Blake scrambled for her weapon, and folded it into its gun form. She turned back to the tree, gun ready and aimed, only for the man to no longer be there.

"Now is that any way to treat your savior?" The gravelly voice came from directly behind her. He was so close she could feel his breath on her neck. She tried to jump away, but only managed to trip over her own feet and fall over. "You must still be half asleep." He said nonchalantly.

Blake rolled herself over to face him where had was kneeled. He had bright red eyes that narrowed suspiciously at her and medium length black hair that spiked in the back. His facial hair consisted of short stubble, all topped off with a slightly tattered cape swishing about behind him. Most worrying of all was the weapon on his back. A huge folded in sword. It was obvious he was a trained hunter that could kill her in a second. "Who are you?" Blake asked. Her voice was more quiet than normal and it hurt to speak.

"Name's Qrow." He said simply and stood up, taking a drink from his flask once more. She watched him walk over to the campfire and squat down, poking it with a stray stick. "You've been out for a few hours. I was starting to think you'd never wake up."

Blake looked at him in confusion. A few hours hardly seemed unreasonable given all she had been through. What had she been through? Mercury and some white fang had taken the rest of her team. Then Torchwick and his little lackey had chased her through the forest, but she didn't make it away did she? No. She had tripped. So how did she end up here?

Blake's eyes flitted to the man, Qrow, near the fire, and they lit up with recognition. He was the man who had driven off Torchwick and his little gremlin. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, though still in pain. "I didn't realize it was you. Who was there last night, I mean."

"No problem," he sighed turning to face her. "A kid like you doesn't deserve all of this." His gaze turned back to fire, as if he had elected to become lost in thought rather than to continue paying attention to her. "No one did."

"You'll have to forgive Qrow," a very familiar voice said from behind Blake. Her eyes widened as she turned around. It was Glynda Goodwitch. "He's been somewhat distant since he came back with you last night."

Glynda's blouse was a bit messier than usual and she held her heels in her left hand, her feet bare. In her right hand, she held a string with six fish on it. But at the forefront of Blake's mind, "you two know each other?" Blake asked.

"Of course. We work quite well together." Blake had to wrap her head around her teacher doing things outside of school. "Qrow, I've collected food."

Qrow's attention snapped to Glynda at the mention of his name. He raised an eyebrow, "where's the blonde kid?"

Blonde kid? Yang! Glynda must have noticed Blake's excitement coming on because the woman utterly destroyed her optimism with just a few words. "He means Mr. Arc." Blake visibly deflated at that. Honestly, she felt kind of bad about her reaction. She should feel happy that Jaune made it, but she was just too worried about her own team. "He's out gathering wood." Qrow seemed to accept that and went back to staring at the fire.

"So, where are we," Blake managed to get out with some difficulty.

Glynda placed the fish on the ground and sat down to put shoes back on. "An island called Patch, just off the coast of Vale." Patch? That's where Ruby and Yang had grown up wasn't it?

"Um," Blake coughed. "Sorry. Why are we here?"

Blake noticed Glynda's eyes sadden. She didn't have the same authoritarian edge she used to. The events of the past few days had shaken her up just as much as it had everyone else. That made the situation seem all the worse to Blake. Even the embodiment of composure herself was hurting. That's how you knew everything had gone to shit. "It was… a sort of rendezvous point that Qrow established. Unfortunately… not many made it."

Of course not many had made it. Almost everyone was gone. Whether they be dead or captured, the likelihood of seeing them again was close to zero. Blake brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly, hoping to find some comfort or solace, even as traces of tears began to form around her eyes.

Qrow cleared his throat and stood up. "Well, I'm gonna go… try to find the kid." It was an obvious lie. He just wanted to escape their depressing conversation. Blake didn't blame him. If it wasn't news to her, she wouldn't want to hear it either. Qrow stalked into the forest and was soon out of sight.

Glynda sat by the fire close to where Qrow had been. "Ms. Belladonna, I understand this is not easy for you." Glynda sighed, "who am I kidding it's hard on all of us, but would you mind helping me with these fish? Perhaps it will even help take your mind off of things and we can all eat when the boys get back."

Blake wiped her eyes, smearing whatever was left of her eye shadow and scraping off bits of dried mud. "Sure. Why not." Blake trudged over to Glynda with Gambol Shroud in tow and plopped herself next to the fire, prepared to clean the fish.

Glynda handed one to her. The slimy scales slid easily around her hands, and she had to avoid cutting herself on the sharp dorsal fins as she attempted to get a grip on it. Blake had to admit, having something to do did help sooth her. She just went with the rhythm of rubbing fish back and forth, making sure to get a many scales as possible. As she got used to the movement however, her mind began to wander. More specifically, it wandered to the man who saved her. "Ms. Goodwitch?"

"Yes?" She replied leaning over her own fish.

"I was wondering, you said that man, um, Qrow, has been distant since he came back with me, but not before that?" Blake struggled to string together sensible sentences. The pain in her chest was really getting to her. "Why is that?"

Glynda stopped scaling the fish and slowly turned to meet Blake's gaze. "They never talked to you about him?"

Blake's brow furrowed. "Who?"

Glynda sighed, "Qrow is Ms. Rose and Ms. Xiao Long's Uncle. He went out into that forest to find them, but he couldn't. You were the only one."

That did not help Blake at all, and now she felt infinitely worse. Her whole team was gone, and the first thing she had gone and done, was just be a disappointment to Ruby and Yang's uncle. "I'm a failure," Blake wailed and curled up into a ball.

Glynda pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Ms. Belladonna, now is not the time for baseless self-loathing. I am positive Qrow was more than happy to help you. Now help me finish these fish before they get back." With that, she turned back to her fish, roughly working the scales off. With shaky hands, Blake picked up Gambol Shroud and followed suit.

* * *

"I'm glad to see you made it back okay," Jaune said to Blake in between bites. The four of them sat around the fire, which was now a bit bigger and provided more warmth thanks to the re-stock in wood.

"It's good to see you too," Blake responded in kind. Jaune seemed to not be as upset as everyone over the recent events. He was prepared to provide emotional support all the time, no matter the situation. Jaune was kind of like Ruby in that way, and it was that emotional anchor that she definitely needed at the moment. Though he and herself at never spoken that much, the comfort of his familiarity was certainly appreciated.

Blake finished the last of her share of the fish and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Okay, I understand the importance of rest and preparation, but I would like to get started finding my team. So what's our plan?"

Jaune looked to the two adults, awaiting their decision. Glynda and Qrow shared a look for a moment, then Qrow spoke. "I want my nieces back, but taking down Cinder and her controller are top priority. Luckily, we believe they are in the same area. A base of sorts, hidden right on Vytal."

Cinder's controller? As far as Blake knew, Cinder was the mastermind behind it all, but to find out that even Cinder was just another piece on a chessboard was a bit dizzying.

"Who exactly is Cinder's controller?" Jaune asked. His voice wavered, as if he was uncertain that he wanted to know.

Qrow and Glynda shared a look once more before Qrow nodded to her. Glynda cleared her throat, "well I suppose you'll have to know everything."

* * *

 **A/N: To those of you who stuck through to the end of the chapter, thanks much! To those of you who are taking the time to read this A/N right now, thank you even more!**

 **This story is still in the process of being written, but before I continue to spend time on it, I NEED your feedback. Does this plot premise seem interesting? Does my writing style here let you jump into the setting? Is it even enjoyable?**

 **If the answer to these questions are yes, then please let me know. I need the encouragement. If not, tell me why.**

 **The feedback this chapter gets will determine how much effort I put into this project, and possibly, if it will ever be finished at all.**

 **Yours truly,**

 **NonKanonical**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Intent

* * *

Salem stared intently at the man knelt before her. The grey haired nuisance had met his end, and Salem would ensure it stayed that way. "It's quite a shame, is it not? You were a man of many names and titles. Ozpin, Headmaster, Guardian," her lips upturned into a faint malicious smile. "Wizard."

Her foot struck out at him, and with a solid thud, he fell over, unable to catch himself because of the heavy shackles that bound his wrists and ankles. Ozpin broke into a fit of coughs and his ragged breathing deepened. Salem almost found it sad. Such a proud man, reduced to tatters and covered with more cuts and bruises than could be counted. The purplish glow of the surrounding landscape only served to further highlight his wounds. He was an arrogant fool for believing that his children ever stood a chance against hatred. "What is the point?" Ozpin asked with a pained expression, surprisingly managing to keep his voice steady. "What is your goal.

"The point?" Salem echoed with a laugh. "My goal?" It was quite simple really. She hated humanity with every speck of her being. Salem wanted nothing more than to wipe the putrid little ants from Remnant and pave the way for her own beautiful creations. She couldn't let Ozpin know it was that, however. He could still prove useful to her, and as such, she needed him alive. For as long as he was alive, Salem could not be too careful. Being the clever man that he was, anything she told him could give away information, no matter how small the amount. Any information that he gleaned on her would give him hope. Hope, will, and unity were his strongest assets. Salem could not risk empowering them. She leant down and caressed his battered face, "I don't think I shall bother indulging you."

"You cannot win," came his surprisingly stern reply.

Salem couldn't help but feel bad for the fool. "And who says?" The kingdoms could no longer communicate, and no one was happy with Atlas. There was no force left to oppose her.

"The strength of unity can't be defeated," he explained, rather needlessly if Salem was being honest. A useless cliché if she ever heard one. His eyes hardened though, as if daring her to challenge him.

That had been the whole point of her plan. Destroy the bonds that held humanity together, and instantaneously put them in check. "Oh Ozpin, can't you see? I have already taken away that unity." His pieces had failed and everyone was alone in their struggles. If Ozpin believed himself to look strong in the face of torture, he was sorely mistaken. "And how many times must I tell you?" She paused and stood up straight once more, purposefully making him wait for her.

Even though he didn't show it, Salem knew that fear and anxiety bubbled beneath him. She could feel it, taste it even. It was _oh_ so good, and she subconsciously licked her lips. "There will be no victory in strength," she finished, her voice resonated with glee at Ozpin's fading hope.

For the first time since capture, Ozpin frowned. His steel mask of emotion finally cracking under Salem's pressure. She felt it give way. He was coming to terms with his failure. Those he had hoped to save, the world he had hoped to cherish. It was all gone. Ozpin would wallow in his failure to protect those dear to him.

"Yes all that is left, is to wake Him," Salem said, more to herself than the sad stooge at her feet. She needed the blood of the huntsmen. As much as possible. Ozpin's blood was potent enough to get the process quite far, and the daughter of that troublesome silver eyed 'warrior' would push it a bit further. However, should would like to have as much as possible, just for precaution's sake.

She had already captured most of Vale's huntsman, and according to her Grimm, three more were on their way. The female Branwen continued to elude her, but that was quite alright. The foolish girl had already played a big enough role. No, Salem was content, and Remnant would soon fall under her reign!

She glared down at the silver and red mop of hair beneath her. "Welcome to Hell, Ozpin," she practically purred. "Population?" She set her eyes into the dark, gaping abyss in front of them. "Remnant."

* * *

 **Yes, yes, I know. Short. This chapter wasn't originally planned. I just wanted to give you guys some insight into everything that's going on from a different perspective. Also, though I don't believe it to actually be true, as you can tell here, this story uses the head-canon that Ozpin is the wizard from the tail of the four maidens.**

 **Anyway, the main purpose of this chapter was to be an excuse touch base with you. This story will almost certainly not be updated for a while. I just don't want to screw up what is essentially the debut of my first _real_ fanfic. So, I'm trying to get most of it finished before I begin updating it again. Then I can get you guys a real release schedule, without worrying about me screwing it up. **

**I'm very grateful for all of the support I received on the first chapter and I can't thank you guys enough. Just think of these first two chapters as trailers or previews for what is to come. I'm trying to work with a friend of mine to get it as good as I can, so hopefully I won't be a fucking disappointment.**

 **Oh, and to TheDelta724, yes! It is a partial romance.**

 **To Ikki, I think that sounds like a great Idea honestly. Though it isn't anything close to what I'm going for in this story as a lot of it is already planned. When it comes to storytelling, never be afraid to hold back your ideas. Connecting dreams is not necessarily a new concept but the way you described it was quite vague, and I'll tell you why that's a good thing. It's moldable. When come up with a basic moldable idea, you can turn it into anything.**

 **To THEREADINGADDICT123, thanks again for the feedback. I'm working hard to improve and I can't without the help of those like you. Cheers!**

 **To some guest, this is NOT post volume three. Just going to clear that up. It is an AU, split off from somewhere between volume two and early volume three. Most of volume three's events never happened here.**

 **To Janed12000, eh. Up and down. **

**Feedback would be tremendously appreciated,**

 **NonKanonical**


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